


Marlon

by Dimity Blue (Arnie)



Series: Day 1 [1]
Category: The Truman Show (1998)
Genre: Epilogue, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 19:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6767461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arnie/pseuds/Dimity%20Blue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marlon, after the cameras stop rolling for good on The Truman Show.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marlon

When the news was announced Truman had left, Louis had to admit it was the one thing he hadn't been expecting. Christof had always been a step ahead of Truman, and Truman was, well, easily led. Easily lied to. Easily manipulated. And now, he was gone and production was shut down, effective immediate.

Shock and disbelief were the main emotions expressed, rapidly followed by anger and hate. How dare Truman leave - what about their jobs, hadn't he thought of that? Ron and Don were particuarly vocal, but Louis saw the fury on Alanis's face. For himself, he felt shock...and a hint of shame. He could have told Truman, could have been Truman's best friend as Truman had been his. Instead, he'd been a part of it all - part of the lies, the deceit. Part of keeping Truman locked up on a set he didn't know existed. Not that Louis was to blame for any of it - he'd been as much a victim as Truman, in his own way.

Louis ducked into his house - or rather, Marlon's house. He couldn't claim to own part of the set for a TV show. He shoved a pile of his stuff into a holdall, including two six packs of beer for the journey, and headed off to the main exit.

He wasn't the first one there. Extras and bit part players were already filing through the security doors and out into the reception area before climbing onto the waiting buses to be ferried away to wherever the hell they went when they weren't on set. Louis joined the line, giving a nod to a number of actors he recognised.

"Hard to believe it's over, isn't it?"

Louis turned his head to find Mal on his heels. Mal, who, as Errol, had run the news stand for the past seventeen years, ever since Judd had argued for a bigger part and been fired by Christof. "Yeah," he finally answered, once he realised Mal was waiting for an answer. "Yeah, it is."

"I never thought Truman would find his way out. Though, all those magazines he bought to make up a photofit of that girl Lauren. Christof should've seen that coming."

"Sylvia." At Mal's enquiring look, Louis added, "Her name was Sylvia." Another thing he'd never been able to admit to Truman - that Louis remembered the girl Truman had fallen in love with. Maybe he only remembered because he'd spent time away from Seahaven - mostly in rehab to try to get his drinking under control. He'd met a few 'Truvia' shippers in there. He'd ended up having to hide out from one of them who was convinced he should reunite Truman and Sylvia because they were meant to be together.

A smile tugged at his mouth as he remembered her opinion of Meryl. It hadn't been complimentary, to say the least. He'd often wondered what she would have said had he told her what Hannah - the actress playing Meryl - was really like. Not that he had many problems with Hannah, not really. Okay, it was a bit galling her salary was so much bigger than his, but she'd earned it. Louis had amused himself once by adding up how many times she must have slept with Truman to earn that much of an increase. At least none of the rest of them had had to prostitute themselves for an increase in salary.

Or maybe Hannah's way was more honest. Not that it mattered now.

Louis stepped up onto the bus and took a seat near the front, not really surprised when Mal sat down next to him. Pulling out his beer, he offered one to Mal.

"Bit early for that, isn't it?"

Louis shrugged. The sun had risen early on Seahaven that day.

Mal took it anyway and cracked it open. "Here's to the end of an era."

"You think he'll get him back?"

Louis looked up. It was one of the extras, though Louis had no clue about his name.

"Christof. You think he'll get Truman back? We could be employed again within a week."

"I doubt it." The signs had been there for a while, though Louis had ignored them. So had Christof, come to that, but Christof hadn't been able to see the look in Truman's eyes when Louis had said he'd have to be in on the deception too. Looking back, Louis recognised that was when Truman realised he was completely alone, though he'd hidden it well enough to go hug his returned-from-the-dead father. Truman had played them all.

"You never know." Mal sounded optimistic. "He's not going to want to give up all this."

Which 'he' was unspecified, but Louis suspected the only 'he' who wouldn't give up would be Christof. As the bus jolted into motion, a sudden sense of glee filled him. Christof had to be raging that his pet performer had escaped. Louis had never wanted to be in Truman's shoes (well, maybe when he was a young and stupid kid), and he didn't envy him now. If Truman had any sense, he'd hire a bodyguard or several to keep Christof away from him.

Or could he? Truman, unlike the rest of them, hadn't been paid as an actor; all he'd have would be his earnings as an insurance salesman, assuming he could even withdraw money from a bank that didn't exist. Louis shrugged. Everyone had always looked after Truman; maybe it was about time Truman faced the cold, hard reality of life.

The thought kept Louis quiet all the way down the side road winding its way along the inside of the dome and through the big doors that led to the outside world. Reporters and camera crews were waiting, but the buses sped on by. Louis opened another beer, glad he wasn't going to have to face them. Yet. He didn't doubt his manager would organise as many interviews as he could get out of it.

The bus came to a halt outside the train station, and Louis stumbled off with the rest, waving off the studio exec at the front of the bus who tried to stop him, saying they'd booked hotel suites for the stars. There was no way he was going to stay in some hotel with the others. Alanis would be making everyone's life hell.

Louis flagged down a cab and told the driver to take him to the nearest hotel. The others would probably end up in the Four Seasons or the Ritz-Carlton or somewhere, so Louis figured he'd be safe in downtown LA. At least until his manager caught up with him.


End file.
